The Beaten Path
by AGENT Kuma-chan
Summary: Collection. Sasusaku. They have crossed this road before, know it all too well. For SasuSaku Month. 34. Separation can be a painful thing. Sakura can feel herself losing pieces of him with each step.
1. The Lost  Lamb

**Title:** The lost lamb

**Prompt:** Day 1 / "What are you so desperate for?"

**Week 1: **Alternate Universe

**A/N:** The first in the 31+ drabbles for SasuSaku month. I say 31+ because there were a few drabble posts I didn't get around to trying...

Anyways, I shall attempt to update this everyday. Which will be a challenge considering it's me, but hey, I do have the first seven ones done. =D Even if they are late and I have had them up since July 1st.

**Summary:** _She's the queen, the master of this domain, not him. _

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"He has arrived, m'lady," her right-hand whispers in her ear, voice low and rough from misuse. "They are sending him in."

"Thank you, Tenten," she murmurs back, waving a dismissal at the news. She had sensed him from the moment he stepped into her kingdom.

Tenten's dark brown bangs tickle her cheek as the guard pulls away, straightening to return her gaze at the door. She positions herself to the left of the throne, back proud and straight as she rests a hand on the hilt of her sword. The rest of the court, the queen's handmaidens, all settle themselves similarly, in a clock-wise fashion.

Not that they are needed, but the gesture is well-intentioned and she is touched.

A soft clicking noise echoes through the room as the ornate doors at the other end of the room slowly swing open. The metallic clacks of shoes are heard as an unseen body approaches the door, heels announcing his presence on the marble floors.

"Ahhh..." she hisses softly, too softly for anyone to hear. Her hands are burning again (_fire, fire, burning bright_) and she glances down to watch as the myriad of swirls slowly glow. A rising phoenix, the crash of thunder, the flickering golden-orange hue of flames, the—

"_It hurts, not knowing what you think, not knowing how you feel."_

—red eyes twirling out of existence. The tattoos warn her for a moment, that something is amiss, that he is here to retrieve something, before disappearing.

The footsteps stop and her youngest handmaiden announces his presence, her face matching the roots of her hair.

"Uchiha Sasuke, here to request assistance."

Not assistance. She can tell by his stature, how he doesn't bow or fall to his knees. His eyes are on hers, dark and purposeful, and there is an air of confidence in his movements. Too much confidence, considering that she is the one in power.

She almost wants to yell at her guards to take him away, this is her kingdom not his, but there is a whisper of memory (of linked fingers, of moonless nights and hidden alcoves, of—) and she is powerless in its wake.

(She is forgetting something)

Silence pervades the room and all that is left is the muted breathing as she observes him. He is handsome enough, hair and eyes reminding her of the midnight sky she has not seen in weeks. With his pale skin, he could be one of the charmed ones.

(or, and she knows if she were to pull down his collar, were to shift his hair, she would find black swirls eating him slowly. He is one of the cursed ones, then, and she doesn't know why she knows this.

He is a stranger.)

"What do you want?" she finally asks.

"You know what." His voice is curt and she holds down the urge to attack once more.

"No," and this is not a complete lie, he shouldn't be so familiar to her. "I do not."

He frowns at those words, at the cold tone she uses. "You do." Before she can respond, he adds, "You are just running away."

"...running away?" And now her blood is boiling, her shackles raised. The air around her is charged, the earth trembling, he has no right to speak to a queen like that, and he has no right to act differently, "who do you think you are, Sasuke-kun?"

And she stops.

Those were not her words. Those cannot be her words, she doesn't know him. Doesn't know the memories that are slowly flooding in.

There is a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he darts forward, faster than sight, and stands in front of her. Tenten moves forward, sword sliding soundlessly out of her sheath, only to pause as her queen holds out a hand.

"Who...what..." And she is no longer seeing him, instead a young teen, blood on his hands, dark stains running wildly up and down his skin as he grins wickedly. A wish, a twisted wish that he wanted granted, at the cost of— "What are you so desperate for?"

(And she feels the sun, printing stories in lines and shadows across her skin, hears ragged breathing and a solitary snort, tastes the dew of the early morning on the tip of the tongue)

"WHO ARE YOU?"

(WHO AM I? She wants to ask, needs to ask, because she shouldn't know any of this)

There is something comforting when he rests a hand on her rest, pulling her up.

"Sakura," (and oh, is that her name?) "you should know the answer to that."

And she does.


	2. And it's never soon enough

**Title:** And it's never soon enough

**Prompt:** Day 2 / manipulate

**Summary:** _She'd bring the whole world down, if she had to._

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The book sits open in her lap, her hands clenched as she finishes the last paragraph. The words burn in her mind, running in an endless loop, their meaning clear.

Sakura's still as she stares at the book, slowly opening her fists and relaxing her shoulders. "It's here," she whispers, a sigh escaping her lips.

It's here._ He's_ here.

Hurriedly, she gets up, closing the ancient book. A finger affectionately strokes the leather spine, a smile lighting her face, before returning it to the shelf in front of her. The library is silent, an empty tomb she glides through as she returns to her table, packing her bag. Quickly, she runs through the list in her mind—only a week left till the next full moon and she has yet to locate the sealing room itself, let alone all the preparations that needs to be done before hand.

There is no time, but she allows herself a moment's rest. It has been centuries since she'd had this much hope.

(Centuries since she last saw his calloused fingers, the bumpy terrain of his scars, the curve of his neck. His breath warm, fingers ghosting her skin, and he murmurs something imperceptible.)

"Soon," she tells herself. "Soon." It won't be long now, just a short week and then he'll be released once more.

Then he'll come back.

Her eyes slowly shut. If she stays still, if she doesn't breathe or speak or think, she can feel his arms slide around her shoulders, his chin on her head. The soft brush of a kiss on her hair, he is more affectionate than reality dictates, but this is her phantom, her ghost. Soon, she'll banish him to the corners of her mind, her steady companion through the ages.

Soon, and that weight will be solid and she will be whole again.

Soon.


	3. Transitions

**Title:** Transitions

**Prompt:** Day 3 / change

**A/N:** A prequel to my 'unpacking' story, .net/s/6784347/1/Unpacking.

**Summary:** Everything changes, Sasuke knows that, but this is one thing he didn't expect.

_..._

_..._

_..._

_And this too shall pass._

He shuts the book abruptly, ignoring the bookmark that falls to the ground.

Everything changes. Sasuke knows that (knows it all too well, has seen faces age and disappear like the dying glow of embers on a cool summer night). Without a second thought, he drops the book onto the table top.

Somewhere behind him, he hears the clunks of boxes, the steady clink of china as they are nestled against each other. There is the soft rustle of cloth and the crinkle of newspapers as unseen hands continue to wrap the fragile dishes.

Around him, the apartment is a mess, a mixture of boxes and furniture. Some are half-open, their contents haphazardly overflowing onto the hardwood floor below; others sealed shut, their tomes hidden from prying eyes.

A whole life is being filled in those boxes. It's being crammed and shoved, in quick, hurried movements, packed away with soft sighs and tired eyes.

He can't remember when he last slept properly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees a brush of pink, a back hunched over another cardboard box.

Looking at her, he doubts she can remember either.

"There," Sakura announces, quietly (and she's never this quiet, this silent. There is a void between them, a gap that is eating away at the concept of 'us'. Where a head used to lean against his shoulder in the late afternoon, sleepy, she now sits ramrod straight, eyes looking everywhere but at him.) "That should be the last of it."

She gets up, dusting her pants self-consciously, before picking up her bag. "I should be back in about an hour to take them away."

"Naruto's van?" He isn't quite sure why he asked that.

Startled, she faces him. "Well, his and Kiba's. Looks like I have more things than I expected." She gives a laugh, the bags under her eyes more pronounced as her face almost crumples, almost collapses into the tears he knows she's holding behind. Instead, Sakura gives a weak smile, and slings the traveller's bag on her left shoulder. "Anyways, I'm going now."

It's been three weeks since she'd announced she was leaving, six since things went horribly wrong, four months since everything started to break visibly. It'd probably been happening longer than that, cracks in the patchwork seams that held them together.

Already, he can see the gaps in the mantle pieces, the missing pictures, the signs that there used to be two occupants instead of one. She takes her coat out of the closet as she leaves, closing the door softly behind her.

At his feet rests her bookmark and he picks that up, carefully inserting it to the page she was on last. All things change, he knows, but he was foolish to think that he was one of those things.

If Sasuke could change, she'd still be here, her shoes nestled in the shoe rack as she relaxed on the couch, her fingers twined in his.


	4. And they all fall down

**Title:** And they all fall down...

**Prompt:** Day 4 / burning/ignite

**A/N:** So, when Ino enters a fic, she takes over it. There might be some Sakura/Ino undertones because of that. Also, this is a prequel to chapter 2 of this drabble series.

**Summary:** _There is nothing to be done, nothing at all, and that is the hardest pill to swallow._

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"No!" She screeches, hands clawing the air fruitlessly as Ino holds her back. "No!" She tries to elbow her, tries to release the unwanted shackles of her arms. Knocking her head back, she hears a muffled yelp before the arms constrict even further.

"You can't do anything," Ino hisses back, her nose red from the hit. "Nothing!"

"But, Sasuke-kun," and her eyes widen, panicky, as she watches his figure slowly crumple, the air wild with magic and mayhem. It's bright, almost too bright, and she can't make out his opponent, only the dark of his hair and the strength of his stance. He moves, like quicksilver, like the monsters they have been running from (but not far enough, never far enough, for he caught up) and—"NO!"

"SAKURA!" Ino yells this time, fingers digging into Sakura's skin as she pulls her back. They are far as it is, far enough that they won't be taken as a threat and attacked next.

(It's never far enough)

Ino views the destroyed landscape, the bodies that lie scattered between her and the fight. There is no one else she can save, not until it is over. Her eyes fall on a dulled orange and she tries not to think of how still Naruto is.

She jerks back one more time, over the crest of the hill, and the two girls tumble to the ground, rolling down before coming to a halt in the valley. Before Sakura can claw her way up, Ino pins her down with a firm tackle.

"Sakura, it's too late."

The girl stills at that comment. Ino's shoulders slump slightly, her face pressing into Sakura's messy tangles. "I can't lose you too."

There is a flash of blinding light, and Ino knows it's over. Whatever happened up there is done with and she releases her hold.

No one moves for a long while, the dark enveloping them as Sakura's hand grasps hers. They remain there, no longer afraid (there is nothing left to lose, now is there?) and Sakura is the one to break the silence, sitting up as she does so.

"I..." And there are no tears in her eyes, no sobs in her breath. Only a void and Ino thinks they'll cry later, when reality sinks in, embedding on tired bones and strained muscles. After they return to the bodies, and maybe some are alive, maybe Naruto is unconscious and Shikamaru is hiding like the coward he is and—

And maybe, tomorrow a dozen shallow graves will have to be dug, the location carved into their memories.

Now, though, she leans against Sakura and waits for the dawn.


	5. Memories

**Title:** Memories

**Prompt:** Day 5 / umbrella

**A/N:** I find it sad that this is the world I'm playing around with the most. This is also a continuity of 'Transitions' (chapter 3)

**Summary:** _It's hard to forget sometimes, to wipe the slate clean in her mind. _

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The rain shifts direction, pelting her from under her umbrella. More than a drizzle but less than a downpour, she shivers and pulls her coat around her tighter. There's no one on the street but her and a few cars, windshield wipers whipping back and forth against the onslaught of water.

A dreary afternoon, she used to spend them at Naruto's. The scent of popcorn would waft through the air as she listened to him laugh, fingers jabbing buttons as his eyes remain locked on the screen. _Sakura-chan, where's the popcorn?_ he'd ask, diving to the right as he tried to ram Mario into Link, chortling when Sasuke couldn't dodge in time.

But she doesn't want to think of him anymore, of how he'd snort and deftly retaliate, half the time watching the screen and the other half watching her.

She doesn't want to think at all. Just wants to walk home and shower, maybe lounge on a couch and put on a movie. Ino is free and they could catch up and maybe she could ignore the missing weight from the sofa, the imprint of his back.

She pulls down the umbrella, the rain soaking her to the bone, and wondered if it could wash away her memories along with her tears.


	6. Saving You

**Title:** Saving you

**Prompt:** Day 7 / "Fix you" by Coldplay

**A/N:** This one takes place before Transitions (chapter 3), when they're still together. And I think this is as fluffy as I've gotten so far...

**Summary:** _She's breaking, slowly, in front of him._

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She's breaking. Tremors rack her body as she remains curled on the bed, her head buried under her hands. Sakura's trying to hide, from the world, from him. Muffled sobs and gasps escape the cracks of her fingers and Sasuke watches her from the door.

He, for once, doesn't know what to do. He can't fix her, heal her. He can't even save himself.

(That's what she always does)

Another cry, angry and primitive and _breakingbreakingbreaking_, and he moves. The bed sinks slightly under his weight, as he reaches out to her, pulling her up.

"Wh...a..." Not-words leave her mouth, mixtures of feelings and thoughts. He tries not to let them cut him, focuses instead on sitting her up, pushing her head into his chest.

"No..." she whimpers, almost struggles, arms coming forward to push.

He doesn't let her, one hand pinning her down, the other combing her hair.

His mother used to do this when he was a child, soothing him as she stroked his hair. It's all he knows and it won't be enough. Her hands grip his shirt, clawing at his skin, and he holds on tighter, firmer.

As the night wears on, the sobs collapse into hiccups, her shoulders slouching as she relaxes in his hold. She doesn't move away, just sits in his embrace, breathing in and out, in and out.

"Thank you," she murmurs, her voice raspy.

She hasn't recovered yet, he knows, her body still tense and wound up.

He can't save her.

But maybe, she can save herself.


	7. Fool's paradise

**Title:** Fool's Paradise

**Prompt:** Day 6 / hello/goodbye

**Summary:** _And one day, he'll think of home as more than a word._

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She opens the door to find his shoes piled neatly beside the welcome mat, an umbrella leaning against the wall next to them. Encrusted with dirt, she stares at them for a moment before springing into action.

(She tries not to think about how long it has been since she'd last saw them, of the blood that is mixed with the mud)

He should be in the kitchen, a newspaper in one hand as he waits for the tea to boil. He could be in the study, carefully pulling out the ancient tomes of his clan, the inheritance she had yet to see. He could be—oh, but she doesn't like that possibility, of the suitcases that remain unpacked as he takes a breather.

"You're late," and he has the upper hand once more, appearing out of washroom, rubbing his hands with a towel.

"I ran out of food." There is a lilt to her voice, she thinks, and probably a wide smile on her face. There is something wild and electric running through her veins. He's home (her feet stamp, her fingers twitch), and it isn't long before she hurls herself at him.

He doesn't even grunt as he catches her, arms steadying her as she takes him in. "I see." Briefly, he rests his chin on her forehead, pulls her close, and then relaxes his grip, back straight as he watches the windows.

Tense, she thinks to herself, still tense and wary and sometimes it's like he hasn't left the battlefield behind, isn't standing in her hallway. There are potted flowers lining the walls and the scent of his peppermint tea is wafting in and he still can only see explosions in the distance, hear bullets bursting through flesh and cloth.

Sasuke once told her that every place is a warzone waiting to happen.

She never found the words to make him think otherwise.

"How long are you staying?" Her voice sounds muffled against his chest, choked and lost, and she keeps her face buried there, pressed against the scent of smoke and death.

"Only for a few hours." There is regret laced with his words, one arm tightening slightly across her shoulders.

"Ah..."

She has become accustomed to his farewells, more so than his greetings. They are always the same, a proud stride as he departs, a small suitcase in one hand and his jacket in the other.

"For how long?"

And this time the guilt is obvious, a heavy thing as he rests his chin once more on her hair. "Four months."

"Oh."

The kettle is whistling in the background, shrill and demanding. She pulls away, disentangling herself. "I should go get that."

He stops her, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "I have time off after that."

As she turns, skin flaming, she tries not to hope.


	8. Fulfillment

**Title:** Fulfillment

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 8 / satisfaction

**Theme:** Week 2—Chance encounters

**A/N:** I don't like this one all that much, but I was attempting to improve on my action sequences. Let's call this an experimental piece, then.

**Summary:** _He's coming home and that doesn't seem to make her feel better._

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She lightly nurses her hand, one eye on Sasuke as he sits there in a stony silence. His limbs are bound and chakra inaccessible and she knows it is safe to say that he can't escape on his own. There's dried blood on his nose from where she punched him.

She can still hear the sickening crack as her stinging fist left his face, the crazed gleam in Sasuke's eyes as he fought. Still see Naruto, a blur of Kyuubi chakra, as he fought tooth and nail.

Now, nearly back in Konoha, she thinks she should feel some sort of satisfaction. He knows how strong she is. They are finally going to come home with him. Team Seven is whole once more.

Everything is how they wanted it.

And still, there is a hole in her, born from that night when the moon was bright and his figure distant. It eats at her as she stands there, watching him. There is nothing, no pleasure or joy or even relief, just a feeling of tiredness overcoming her as she waits for Naruto to come back.

He says nothing, hasn't spoken a word since he woke up. Just tested the wires once and then remained still.

This worries her. She cannot fathom why, only that something is wrong with this uncharacteristic silence.

As she hears Naruto come crashing back through the forest, she catches a slight shift in Sasuke's countenance. A small quirk of the lips, a narrowing of his eyebrows, and she can see the madness that has taken over him.

Oh, she thinks faintly as the expression fades once more, that must be it.

It's not Sasuke they're bringing home.

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...

**A/N:** This the scene before the fic, but it didn't really fit in with the main story, so I couldn't put it above it.

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His body reels back, a sickening crack echoing as she pulls back her stinging fist. Opportunity given, Naruto leaps into the fray, a blur of orange and yellow as he moves. He dodges Sasuke's blind punch, recoiling only when he failed to notice the accompanying kick.

As he twists his body, leaning forward to land on his feet, Sakura fills in the gap, pulling Sasuke down with a well-timed earth jutsu.

It's almost too easy, this fight. Naruto's already back on his feet and Sasuke's still a little clumsier, a little slower, than the last time they saw him.

It has everything, she knows, to do with the blood-smeared bandages that are lying abandoned on the ground. His eyes are dripping blood, unfocused and moving too rapidly for him to control. They haven't recovered from whatever operation he did and now he's pushing them too hard.

When he falls, she isn't surprised, already holding the wires to tie him up with.

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	9. Lies

**Title:** Lies

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 9 / Snoop

**A/N:** Once again, a continuation of chapter 3's world. This one takes place after chapter three. For some reason, I'm not happy with this one either. D:

**Summary:** _There are only so many lies she can feed herself._

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She shouldn't be concerned on how he is, if he's losing sleep or gaining weight. Maybe he's like her, trying to piece himself together, trying to find the parts that are just 'Sasuke' and not 'us'.

It's difficult. She's been doing it every day, separating herself from her memories until she can find 'Sakura' again. Until she is only Sakura again.

She doesn't think that will ever happen. There will always be something, the heel of her left ankle or the curve of her wrist that he used to kiss, that belongs to him. Something small and unimportant until she catches sight of it and then the memories threaten to take over.

This is a hurt that will take time to recover. And he did it.

She should only wonder enough to wish him a worse hell.

(Only enough to hope he can still sleep, despite his ghosts, despite the one she added there.)

She doesn't want to care anymore. It's harder in practice than it is theory. Even this sudden visit to Naruto has Sasuke's scent all over it. The blonde will probably mention how bitchy the teme is or that he's been losing all of their fights recently.

She doesn't want to care anymore because she's tired. Tired of wondering and wanting and craving. Tired of everything. There are only so many lies she can feed herself.

She turns the corner and freezes. Sasuke's car is on the driveway, impeccably clean as usual. He's here and she's here and—

Sakura forces herself to breathe. She can do this. She can do this.

It's one lie too many.

She turns around and sprints home, not stopping until the door is locked behind her and she can collapse on the tiled floor.


	10. Ghosts of You

**Title:** Ghosts of you

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 10 / home

**A/N:** I feel partially happy about this one. =D

**Summary:** _He has too many ghosts to settle down yet. _

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They don't meet often. Sasuke's become good at hiding the past few years, good at finding the small towns and villages that no one will find him in.

And even though they want to bring him back, want to drop their arms around his shoulders and laugh as they walk the familiar route to Konoha, they don't.

Sasuke needs his peace of mind more than he needs a home right now.

Sakura remembers, vividly, the blank look in his eyes, the clenching of his fingers, the tension that ran down his spine. Remembers how he seemed on the verge of saying something before disappearing into the night.

And because she remembers that, remembers the haunted expression that crosses his face whenever they cross paths, she leaves him be.

He has enough ghosts on him without having to handle the ones waiting here.

And at each meeting, the number doesn't seem to be less. She isn't quite sure what these chance meetings are for, if they are a way of apology or a sign that he's alive.

So it's not entirely unexpected when she comes across him on her way home. She doesn't turn to look at him when his shadow falls parallel to hers. Just calmly breathes in and walks and watches the path as it meanders across the field. He's close, so close, but if she were to reach out and touch him, he'd probably hide once more.

As it is, she just listens to the silence, to the soft steps he makes and the slight rustle of clothing. There have been some changes, since the last time. There's less tension in the air for one.

She'd like to think his rage is gone now, that his madness calmed. Like to think it but her neck throbs a reminder to be wary and she keeps herself an arm's length away.

In the distance, she can see the trees that define her village, the towering oaks and pines that hide her home from the world. The moment she steps in their shadow, he will disappear.

"Will you come, this time?" It's the only question she asks anymore. It answers all of the other ones.

A pause, the raspy sound of a man who doesn't talk too much anymore. "...no."

"I see."

And there is nothing more to say. Nothing more to do, but to look at him and take in everything, because this is all she and Naruto will have for the next few months.

She memorizes everything, the length of his bangs and the sway of his arms, the—

Oh, and she smiles now as he disappears, the path beside her clear of every trace. Immediately, she breaks into a run, shooting through the woods as she hastens to Naruto.

It might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn he didn't have a single ghost on him.

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...


	11. Waiting

**Title:** Waiting

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 11 / self-sacrifice

**A/N:** Naruto is a bit mature here. This is also from the 'unpacking' universe and this one takes place after chapter 5. And um, this totally follows the 'chance encounters' theme. If he did shove them in a room, that would have been a chance encounter.

**Summary:** _Naruto should just shove them both in a room and be done with it._

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Naruto hates it. Hates the whole mess and wishes he could just shove them both in a room and leave them there until they work it out.

He thinks he probably could manage it. Sakura wouldn't suspect a thing and Sasuke hasn't been himself lately, so it would easy enough to trick them both into his house. Whatever broke them, whatever it was that made Sakura move into an apartment across town and Sasuke half-heartedly respond to any challenge issue, it can be fixed. A small talk, a compromise, and then Sakura would start smiling again, bright and full as she leans over Sasuke's shoulder to peek at his book.

It would work, he thinks.

But they aren't children anymore, when he could shove and push and force his ideas into existence. He's not allowed to fix this problem, not allowed to pick it up and put it back together. It's something they have to do and he hates that even more.

Because he knows that might not happen. Knows it as he sees Sakura sometimes halt outside his house, hesitant to come in. Knows it as he watches Sasuke avoid looking at the empty picture frame that hangs on his wall. It's something they might never try to fix.

He has to hope. Has to believe. He has always done that but it is harder when he knows he's not allowed to help. All he can do is trust that they will try once more, fix that broken thing called love.

And maybe then he could hang his picture up again, of the three of them listening to the radio as the city around them grew dark.


	12. Ashes to Ashes

**Title:** Ashes to ashes

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 12/scent

**A/N:** It's hard to write crazy!Sasuke and so I failed. D:

**Summary:** _The scent of ashes shook him from his stupor. _

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The scent of ashes shook him from his stupor. Ashes and the faint smell of burning, of flesh and earth turning a charred black. The heat from his flames surrounded him, the hot tongues licking the edges of his cloak. Shaking them off, he moves forward.

The sound of battle fills his ears, of kunai and shuriken clashing and elements colliding. Somewhere, civilians are screaming and crying.

This, he knows, is not enough. It will never be enough. The flames grow higher in response to his anger, consuming everything in their path. The rubble, the festering wounds, all will be taken, all will be destroyed. Until there is nothing left but finely tuned dirt. Until the pleas are silent and the ground lay bare and the world is painted charcoal and crimson.

And even then, it won't be enough.

Hands moving unconsciously, he moves further infield, chakra gathering and burning as another fire waits to explode.

Mid-way, he pauses. A new scent wafts under his nose, something clean, something free of smoke and fear.

"Sasuke-kun."

"Ah," he turns, slowly, the smirk on his face broadening. Casually, lazily, he rests a hand on his sword, the other hand still waiting for the last hand signal to be complete. "Sakura."

She frowns, something remorseful covering her face, before hardening it. Without another word, she charges.

She still smells clean.

He has to fix that.


	13. A kiss to dream on

**Title:** A kiss to dream on

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 14 / summer

**A/N:** Older!fic. Because I'm hipster like that. XD But I really have wanted to write a fic when they were older and I like this fic. Can be seen as an extremely far down the future continuation of 'Fool's Paradise' (aka chapter 7).

Also, for those who notice that day 13, is missing, it was posted as a separate fic (_Traces)_ because it wasn't entirely SasuSaku, like this collection is.

**Summary:** _They did this years ago, her arm hooked in his as they waltzed the night away._

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...

It's a warm summer night. The waves lap the edge of the dock, and she sits there, back straight on the wooden chair as she watches the calm lake.

"You're late," she murmurs when she hears the echoes of footsteps on the wooden planks. Remaining still, she waits until the footsteps stop to turn her head to the side.

"I know." He's quiet, not oppressively so. As though all the issues of his teenage and young adult years have disappeared.

As they should—his hair is peppered with grey and the stern pride that once filled him now seems more tired, sedate. As though he has found his place in the world and isn't trying to fight anymore.

She wonders how long it has been since she last saw him. He had disappeared so suddenly, the only sign she had was opening her door to a half-empty apartment.

"You seem well."

He doesn't reply at first, just stands there, watching. Always watching and she is glad that some things haven't changed. "So do you."

The moon is bright and full, the wind blowing gently. Beside her, the small radio she brought for company springs to life as she turns the dial.

_There's a saying old, says that love is blind_

_Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find"_

The song is slow, quiet. She remembers dancing to it when she was younger, an arm hooked around Sasuke's back as they slow-danced the night away.

They were so young then, so young and full of promise.

She doesn't quite know what they are now.

"How long?"

He doesn't bother to ask what she means. "I don't know." She doesn't know how to take that. A day? A week? The rest of their lives?

She'd clarify, but his hand is suddenly under her nose and she accepts it without a thought. Getting up, she keeps one hand in his, the other resting on his arm. His hand is light on her back and without wasting another second they begin to dance as the next song starts.

It has been years since they've done this together. His breath is warm on her ear as they slowly waltz around the dock, her head resting on his chest.

She feels young, for a moment. Feels like she is seventeen and the war had yet to start. Sasuke would be back by Christmas and they'd be married in the spring.

"Where have you been?"

"Nowhere important."

He never had much of a mouth before. Never answered any question just like that. But then again, she probably wouldn't have asked anything so directly before.

Even now, she can't ask if he's better, if he's stopped jumping at every sound he hears.

"I loved you." She pauses. "I probably still do now."

"...I know." He stops, twirling her once before continuing. "Thank you and..." He hesitates at the next part, body rigid. "I'm sorry."

It's the unspoken part she hears, his attempt at making up for disappearing every time she sees him. She has spent years alone in that apartment and they both know a single apology will not make up for anything.

It's still more than he was willing to do before and for that she hums along with the music as they pace the narrow walkway. The lantern by their feet flickers, casting large shadows on the ground.

There are so many questions she wants to ask: what he's done, if he'll stay, if he's missed her. The night isn't enough to make her brave enough to ask them now. Maybe tomorrow, instead, if he's still there.

The song dies down and she rests in his arms, listening to the last line of the song as they stop moving.

_Give me a kiss to build a dream on._


	14. Bedraggled

**Title:** Bedraggled

**Day/Prompt:** Day 15 / rumour

**Theme: **Post-Canon

**A/N:** Rather short, I'm afraid. But I like it. =D

**Summary:** _It's rumour and instinct that lead her to him. _

...

...

...

It's a rumour and instinct that leads her to him. He's sitting on a jutted rock, somewhere on the edges of Lightning, the wind ruffling his hair as he looks onto the canyon. His posture is relaxed, his blade clearly in view and leaning against the rock. No matter how fast he moves, she'd be able to tell when he reaches for it.

She approaches him cautiously, watching his movements out of the corner of her eye. He is not the man (boy) she used to know, has not been that person for a long time.

His actions are something she can no longer predict.

As it is, he does nothing, even when she perches on a ledge nearby, one hand sitting on her kunai pouch.

"It's a nice view," she comments, hesitantly. There is something beautiful in the starkness of the landscape, in the isolation it gives.

He remains quiet, turning his head to face her. There is nothing to suggest it, his expression still carefully blank, back erect, but she thinks he might be done. Tired of running, worn-out from fighting, Sasuke might be ready to come home.

She doesn't push, yet. Just sits there, the sun warm on her face, and wonders what it will be like to have team seven whole once more.


	15. Blemishes

**Title:** Blemishes

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 16 / Warmth

**A/N:** And this is why I don't write fluff.

**Summary:** _They both have their scars, those wounds that keep them up at night. _

...

...

...

They do this every now and then, the sun bathing them in a golden glow as the birds chirp outside the window. She's usually awake first, giving a brief smile when he blearily looks at her as she traces his scars. The skin is scabbed over already, the scars beyond saving, and she follows the course texture with a lazy finger. Just follows it from start to end, her fingers smoothly sliding down his skin. If he's barely awake, he cracks open an eye, mentioning where a particularly deadly-looking wound came from, how the sword had been shaky in his first use and how long it took him to dodge. Kabuto spent a few hours helping patch him up and the rest was left to nature.

Her finger tips blaze across his chest, lighting a path in the dark.

This morning however, he is the one painting her skin.

Her skin is warm against his hand as his fingers run across her chest. There is a long gash that runs across her stomach and as he follows the path she represses a shiver.

"It's from when I was fighting Sasori." She answers his unasked question, her eyes open and staring directly at him. She doesn't look away, as his fingers gently carve a trail down her chest.

"You couldn't heal it?"

Her breath hitches slightly when he reaches the center of the scar, the skin there more tender and rough than anywhere else.

"I could." A sad smile crosses her face, her eyes no longer looking at him but at a time long past. "I almost did but...It's a reminder." She doesn't say anything else for the moment, closing her eyes briefly as a remorseful look crosses her face. "I could have died then. Instead, someone else paid for my mistake."

"I see."

She doesn't mention anything when he follows her other scars, though they are fewer in number than his. Doesn't even bring up the invisible scars, the ones that won't disappear as easily. They both have their shares of those, of the nights that keep them up.

These wounds are something that will linger for a long time.

But, he knows as she allows his hand on her neck, not even flinching as he massages the muscles there, that they are off to a good start healing them.


	16. A twoway street

**Title:** A two-way street

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 17 / "I Believe in You" by Kylie Minogue (a song)

**A/N:** You have no idea how many times I rewrote this. And I am now giving up on that. D:

**Summary:** _It isn't as simple as Naruto thinks it is, for this awkward distance to close. _

...

...

...

"We're almost home," Naruto almost sings as they run, the trees a blur of green. Sasuke flanks his left while she runs on his right, a careful distance between them.

(And this is something that went both ways, this memory of death: her needles were dipped in poison just as his hands were firm against her neck.)

"I hope Sai didn't read something stupid while we're gone." She shudders at the thought, remembering the last time he had to stay behind during a mission.

They are not quite a three-man cell, not quite a four. Instead, they rotate between the two, between members, depending on what is needed in the mission and their duties.

And she still doesn't know how to react to Sasuke. Doesn't know, even though Naruto asks her to believe and that everything will be fine.

It isn't that simple anymore.

Naruto chuckled, grinning at the thought. "Maybe he'll start slapping everyone again."

"That was—watch out!"

She dodges herself, flipping under the branch she had landed on. Above her, an explosion occurs, and without a second thought she runs to the spot the kunai came from.

A surprise attack, probably by one of the rogue groups that have been travelling around after the war. There were so many these days, people who wanted to take advantage of the confusion that remained even though everything had been settled.

A leaf flutters behind her and instinctively, she twirls around, her foot already kicking the spot where her opponent stands. A small crunch and he flies back, crashing into the tree, blood flowing from where she landed her hit.

There's no one else here and she turns to head back to the others. The rest of the group must be there. There is noise on the ground below and automatically she leaps down, her fist already emblazoned with chakra as she dives to the earth.

Two seconds later, she walks out of the crater, several bodies crushed in the debris.

It is unexpected when a particularly strong punch knocks her over. The attacker disappears before she can catch his face, the punch the only thing remaining and one that disorients her as she lies on the ground, her wind knocked out of her.

Before she can get up from her position, she sees a hand proffered. Her opponent lies still on the ground, a sword sticking out of him.

Looking up at his impassioned face, she contemplates the person standing in front of her.

(And she remembers watching him smirk at Naruto's taunts, at his hands helping build a house wrecked in his attack, in the way he sometimes glances at her neck, eyes darkening as he does so.)

He is not the same Sasuke she fawned over as a child, but he is not the Sasuke she tried to kill either.

He is a stranger she is coming to know.

Maybe she can't believe in him like Naruto does.

What she can do, however, is trust, and she places that in his hands.


	17. Reconciliation

**Title:** Reconciliation

**Prompt/Theme:** July 18 / Close

**A/N:** Because there are so many ways post-canon can go. And I don't think this piece is emotional enough.

**Summary:** _That dream of Team Seven will never be closer. _

...

...

...

His head is heavy in her lap, wet from a mix of blood and tears. His hair is matted to his face and tenderly she moves the strands behind his ears.

"Naruto?" He croaks, eyes slowly opening in response to the movement.

She gives him a sad smile. "You saved him." Naruto's yellow hair brushes against her elbow as she shifts slightly to look at him. "Unconscious, but fine."

"Good." His words sound thick, heavy, as though the effort it takes to push them out is almost too much to bear. He keeps his eyes open, staring up at her, at the tears that start to fall once more as she can't hold it in anymore.

"You're so stupid." Stupid but right, for Naruto is still alive, breathing next to her. He is the one with the dream and Sasuke is the one who has lost his. "We were so close, so close. You were going to come home and Naruto was going to treat us and I...we nearly had team seven again." Her voice cracks at this part, because they are team seven at the end, but that's not enough. It will never be enough. "I'm going to be angry at you for a long time."

(She's angry with herself.)

"I see." He coughs, a feeble thing. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm the one who wasn't fast enough to help." Her fingers run through his hair, the wet splotches of her tears making it harder to see. "I...I'm never fast enough."

"...it was more than enough." and with a grunt for the effort, he extends a hand, wiping the tears from her face. "It always is." His hand falls, with a thud that she will never forget. "Thank you." He cracks a smirk. "Tell the dobe...this is one race I've won."

His eyes flutter close at that, his breathing slowing.

She almost cries harder at that, biting her lip to stop herself. "You idiot." Repeating herself, she leans forward, gently kissing him. His lips are cold when she sits up again.

He isn't quite smiling but it isn't a frown either.

Maybe he's at peace. She'd like to think that.


	18. Runaway

**Title:** Runaway

**Day/Prompt:** Day 19 / Runaway

**A/N:** I haven't been able to connect to the internet until now, so yay! Updates.

And blegh. Took so long to write this...

**Summary:** _He is running, always running, and he doesn't remember how to stop._

...

...

...

He gets the urge to run sometimes, a desire that runs like fire through his blood. It stirs in him now, as he and Sakura walk to the Hokage tower. Easily, for he is still faster than her, he can leap over the walls and disappear into the forest.

Not much is tying him to the village, with the distrustful gazes from those who know the full extent of his defection, a poisonous attitude from those who suspect. Not much keeping him still, when all he knows is running and has forgotten what it is like to stop.

(He's still running, from his ghosts, his teammates, himself.)

Peace is strange and new to him. He still doesn't fully have it, still wakes up with thoughts of vengeance and murder and a wish for it to all end.

(And now that it has, he doesn't know what to do.)

Unconsciously, his feet take a half-step to the gates, his eyes already scouting for guards. A small noise to his right and he looks down to see Sakura looking at him inquisitively.

She is still here, still waiting beside him. Naruto is eating ramen and Kakashi is reading his orange book and Sakura is waiting with a patience that he cannot understand.

But time can change that and Sasuke thinks he can stop long enough to find out.


	19. Nightmares

**Title:** Nightmares

**Day/Prompt:** Day 20 / Dreams/Nightmare

**A/N:** This didn't come out as expected, but I still like it. Until I got to the end.

**Summary:** _He can't remember when the first nightmare became a dream._

...

...

...

He can't remember when the first nightmare became a dream. He still has enough of the former, enough nights where he wakes, sweaty and gasping, hands still grasping for something he can no longer reach. There are images that rarely stay with him as he blinks in the cool night, images of people and memories he can barely recall.

(And, this is something he will never admit, but he has already forgotten them, forgotten their faces and her smiles and the warmth of his hands.)

"Sasuke?" Sakura is drowsy, as she always is when he jolts awake, her fingers slowly reaching out to grasp his shoulders. "Y'ok?"

His mind is still racing, still chaotic-the edges of the present and the past blurr and he is lost. He is eight and he is twenty-one and the pieces of his mind do not quite match the body that he inhabits.

"Sasuke?" There is a startling clarity in her voice, in the urgent grip of her hands. Glancing at her, he closes his eyes, gathering himself. They disappear, his quiet mother and steady father and elusive brother, their mutterings and footsteps.

"It's nothing." He opens his eyes, his left hand covering her right, pulling it carefully off his shoulders. "Go back to sleep."

She eyes him for a moment, taking in his calm composure, the sheen of sweat that she can barely make out in the moonlight. Takes him in and says nothing because there is only so much she can do. She can heal him, comfort him, but she can't fight his demons for him. Those are something he has to face alone.

Instead, she wraps her arms around him, pulling him closer. "You have a lot of nothings," she murmurs quietly, her lips twitching into a smile, before burying her head into his chest. "I'd prefer a something next time."

Her breaths are warm on his skin, her own body almost scorching him. As she falls asleep, her body relaxing, he loosely drapes his own arms around her.

And when he closes his eyes, he can't say if it is a nightmare or a dream that starts.


	20. Quiet Twilight

**Title:** Quiet Twilight

**Day/Prompt:** July 21st / "She was a wreck, but so was he."

**A/N:** So...I might continue this, but for now let's look at it like a slow courtship? I can say that about nearly every piece in this week's prompts. XD They are all loosely connected.

**Summary:** _In the aftermath, it is hard to remember where their blood ends and hers starts._

...

...

...

...

The war touched everyone. The young children, the new genin, the recently approved chunin and jounin, it was a disease that spread through the ranks and into their cores.

For once, Sakura can understand why her mentor feared blood. The warm, sticky sensation doesn't leave her hands for days after the fighting stopped. Instead, she remembers, tastes the metallic liquid as it sprays all over her as another head rolls.

It's hard to think, harder to breathe. Better that she moves, immersing herself in healing the wounded. There are many, too many; emergency cots are set up inside and around the hospital, and still there are not enough for the wounded.

She can heal them, can take their torn ligaments and piece them together. She can do all of that, but not enough to take them off that bed quick enough for the next patient.

And the blood that covers her, like a set of red gloves, it doesn't disappear. Only thickens with each patient, hardens with each failure.

Naruto is out rebuilding the country, Kakashi an unwilling companion, and Tsunade is too busy healing, so it is unexpectedly from Sasuke that she hears the rebuke she is waiting for.

"You're overworking yourself."

His words greet her as she exits the hospital, wearily making her way home. Shock is probably the expression that worms its way onto her face, she has been having a hard time understanding herself lately.

(She didn't know what to feel after she got used to her fingers digging into flesh, the edges of her kunai blunt and caked red.)

"You have no right to talk. I know you've been rebuilding late into the night."

He doesn't let it on, but he looks exhausted. She imagines it mirrors her own face, the crows feet that surround his eyes, the haggard steps-she knows he still manages to look better than her somehow. If she were less tired and more open, she might have made a joke about inbreeding.

As it is, they walk, the streets bathed in the golden glow of twilight.


	21. Jar of Hearts

**Title:** Jar of Hearts

**Day/Prompt:** Day 22 / Sensitivity

**Theme:** Week 4 / Special Occasion

**A/N:** Blegh.

**Summary:** _Sorry has always sounded insincere until he had to say them himself. _

...

...

...

...

"I'm sorry." The words are thick and clumsy as he says them. They always ring false, no matter how often he has heard them, and it is only now, when he has to say them, that he realizes their meaning.

Sakura says nothing, her eyes still on the urn in her hands, fingers trembling as she tries to calm down. He watches the tremor on her throat, her erratic pulse, as she brushes the edges of her hair away from her nape.

When her body stills, she finally raises her head, looking at him. "I know."

Perhaps she is tired of the _I'm sorry_s, just as he was. Her mouth is a tight line, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stands strong. "Thank you for coming."

There is something dismissive in her words, something that tells him to leave her.

He has never been good at listening to requests.

Moving closer, he sits beside her on the wooden chairs that mar her living room. His shoulder bumps against hers as he seats himself, and if it is intentional he will never say. The room is empty now, friends and family already gone, and only the urn in her hands and Sasuke to keep her company.

"He wasn't supposed to die so early." Her voice is angry, fire laced in the words. "I was going to be the first to graduate from university and work at Tsunade's hospital and become the section head and Dad..." Her tirade stops at that word, at that thought, and he can see the cracks before she can even feel them.

Her arms wrap around the urn, tighter, her head bowed as she tries to continue. "Dad would..." her voice is a whisper now.

Watching her, he finishes her thought. "He would have been proud."

Closing her eyes, she raises her head. A weak smile covers her face. "He would have been. Would have baked a cake and cracked my ribs with a hug."

And when she breaks, he helps her collect the pieces.


	22. Watermelon

**Title:** Watermelon

**Day/Theme:** Day 23 / Birthday

**A/N:** Another one for the 'war' series (chapter 7). This is for his birthday and this is what I write. D:

**Summary: **_She's using watermelon lotion now, he notices, her fingerprints heavy with the scent._

...

...

...

It is hard to contact Sakura. They video chat, occasionally, her face appearing in pixelated blocks and hazy lines. The reception is bad where he is, the phone line barely there. The weather outside, a raging monsoon, didn't help either.

_That's fine_, she told him in letters, _ I like writing better._ Liked leaving traces of her perfume on wrinkled pages, pressing flowers and herbal leafs between the sheets so they fell on his lap when he opened the envelope. Sometimes she would doodle in the margins, leave lipstick kisses on the seal. Occasionally, a used movie stub or a glass marble would sit in the envelope, weighing it down as he picked it up.

Two weeks late for his birthday, he receives a package, covered in x's and o's. He can smell the lotion from her hands on the box, her skin dry again from the heat of summer. She's using the watermelon-scented one again and he can see smudges from where she used too much. Her fingerprints are outlined clearly in some spots, his own hands hovering over them as he opened the package.

Inside are a few books, ones he has never heard the title of before, two notes, and a dog-tag with his clan's symbol engraved in the metal. Even as he takes out the books, lilies and irises and daises scatter in the air, their petals breaking apart at the force. He is sure some have landed in his hair, the colours a striking contrast with his black locks.

The first note he skims (_Happy birthday!_), the second makes him pause. He knows already the small splotches are tears, the mangled ink a _I miss you_.

Knows and can do nothing but take in the faint scent of watermelon, feel the flower petals still falling around him.


	23. Refresh

**Title:** Refresh

**Day/Prompt:** Day 24 / Influence

**A/N:** So much writing...

**Summary: **_It's a lingering memory and she doesn't want it anymore._

...

...

...

Konoha isn't as damaged as she expected when she returns, the war over. A few buildings knocked down here and there, a crater or two, but more or less the village she left before the war.

Entering the gates, the first thing she sees is that dammed bench. Somehow, despite the destruction around it, it survived everything with nary a scratch. Running her fingers over the warm metal, she can feel the smooth polish beneath her skin.

"Naruto's coming!" Standing there, she can hear the whispers. "And that Uchiha boy, the one that disappeared, he is coming too!"

"I hear he killed some of our ninja."

"I hear he started this war."

The rumours buzz around her, as the gates slowly open once more. She concentrates on the most important piece: her boys are coming.

Taking a leaf out of Naruto's book, she twists the bench out of shape, jerking it out of the ground in one go. If they ask, she'll claim it came from the damage before.

As it is, she says nothing when the villagers around her abruptly quiet, turning to face the gates.

That was the last and worst memory she had of Sasuke.

A smile lightens her face.

This time, the slate is clean.


	24. A lover's embrace

**Title: **A lover's embrace

**Day**/**Prompt**: Day 25 / "Say my name."

**A/N:** Don't know what to make of this one, I'm only happy it finally wrote itself.

**Summary:** _Time is moving too fast, chaotically, and she has to say goodbye._

...

...

...

...

...

Time is moving too fast, rapidly slipping out of her fingers as she grasps his hand. The blood is everywhere, pooling under her as she lies there.

She can barely remember the last ten minutes. Barely remember anything, just blurs of colour and the sound of her feet as she ran.

"Sa..." His voice is a cracked whisper, his eyes slowly moving to meet hers.

"I'll be..." she can't lie-there is too much blood, it's splattered across her chest, specks on her cheek. She can barely feel the pain anymore and her experience already informs her of what will happen.

Of what is happening.

(She doesn't want to die, Naruto isn't here yet and Sasuke is only now going home. She hasn't given Ino the exotic flower she found, hasn't scaled Hokage's mountain with her own hands-)

"I..." There is too much to say. _I'm sorry, I miss you, goodbye._ "I..."

Sasuke looks scared and she hasn't seen that expressions since they were in that forest, his body shielding hers. He looks scared and oddly naked, as though that mask she has been trying to chip at is only now coming off.

She could laugh at the irony, but there is something wet in her throat and she doesn't want to know if it's blood.

Her arm refuses to rise, refuses to do anything, but let her hand squeeze his tighter. Tighter and tighter and oh, she won't be able to feel this again, this scarred palm or coarse fingers. She thinks she might be crying, but she can't tell anymore.

"Sa..." he starts again.

"Say my name," she interrupts.

There is something fragile in the way he is looking at her, in the soft tones of his voice. "Sakura."

Ah, this might be how a lover speaks, she thinks, and closes her eyes.


	25. Patience

**Title:** Patience

**Day/Theme:** Day 26 / Innocence

**A/N:** I just realized, I think this is the first time I made Sasuke smirk in this whole set. D: -and as far as I can remember, that was an important character trait. D:

Anyways, this can be a bit further down in the war!series. Sasuke has moved up in the world. XD Previous one here, first one here.

**Summary:** _She drops the question one day, unexpectedly._

...

...

...

She drops the question one day, unexpectedly.

But not really, these are the words he has been waiting for.

(The ones he really expected were _I'm leaving._)

"When are you coming home?" It's an innocent question, clear through the telephone as he stands there in the airport, waiting for his flight. Another country, another mission, he has started to lose track of where he is and what he does. Only counts time through his visits to her.

There is silence on both ends of the phone before she gives a tired laugh. "Sorry, I should have known better than to ask that. Top secret, right?"

He nods, half-forgetting she can't see before mumbling, "Aa." He can see her now, half-asleep, wearing the flannel pyjamas Naruto gave her. Her hair is probably messy and flying around her, her blankets rumpled as she struggled to reach the phone.

The time zone differences were something he forgot about, the prospect of calling her clouding his judgement.

"You should get back to sleep."

"It is late. Or should I say early?" He can hear her chuckle at that, her voice clear through phone. "Be careful."

He smirks at that comment, at the worry in her voice. "I am."

"I know, I know." There is a pause, he's about to hang up, but she speaks once more. "Come home soon, okay?"

He can't promise this, can't say yes and raise her hopes when he doesn't know what the answer is.

Instead, he glances at his watch, calculating the time where she is, waiting for the second hand to hit twelve.

"Happy birthday."

There is a smile in her voice when she thanks him and he carries that with him as he boards the plane.


	26. Rite of Passage

**Title:** Rite of Passage

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 27 / Protect(or)

**A/N:** Not really proud with this one. Feels like that with all the ones I have up to the last day.

**Summary:** _It's not the wisest plan, but she doesn't have any other choice. _

...

...

...

"This isn't wise." It doesn't surprise her anymore, the rough voice that emerges from the black wolf beside her. Summer has started and his coat is shaggy, patches removed here and there as he sheds.

For her spirit guide, for one that doesn't fully exist, he is awfully real. The course fur sticks to her clothing, as much as she tries to get rid of it, just as the mud sticks to him.

"I know," she replies, watching him for a moment. He stands proudly, and she can imagine him as a man. He would bend to no one, would stand there calm and composed and proud. Would probably die because of that too.

Now is not the time to think about that.

As they sit there, crouched in the bushes, she carefully crawls forward and peers through the dense foliage. She can't see much, as expected, just pieces of blue and brown leaking in through the leaves. It's not like she needs to anyways, it will be sound that warns her.

He makes a sound, something of a growl, and she turns her head to give him the answer he seeks.

"It's not like I have any other choice."

Sasuke doesn't reply to that; she takes that as consent. Taking out her hunting knife, she turns it in her hands, her fingers following the intricate design on the hilt. A ring of metal circles, entwined with fiery flames, she tightens her grip on it, her other hand removing the sheath. The metal is cold in the light, the knife's point deadly, and she is carefully to point it away from them.

"You don't have to do this," Sasuke finally mutters as he lies down beside her, his snout in his paws. His eyes are a dark red, the colour of blood, and they are fixed on hers.

She almost scratches him on the ears, only stopping herself because she knows he will bite her if she does. "I'm stronger now, I can handle myself."

"I won't be able to come help you."

"You don't need to." A few months ago, he wouldn't have cared and for that she drapes an arm around him casually, almost surprised when he doesn't shake her off as usual. "Besides, if I can't do this, I can't call myself an adult. Or release you from your form."

The sound of hoofbeats tremor through the earth. Crouching now, she gives him a parting remark before she leaps into the path.

"And when you finally turn back into a human, you'd better be half as good-looking as you claim."


	27. Nights Away

**Title:** Nights away

**Day/Prompt: **Day 28 / Lust/Longing

**A/N:** ...more in the war series! A bit meh, with it, because I like the beginning and I like the ending, but everything in between worries me. D:

**Summary:** _He misses her._

...

...

...

...

At night, he dreams of her sometimes. Just glimpses, of red lipstick and golden earrings, a curl of pink brushing his jaw. Her voice, low in his ear, the steady thump of her heart, the bright yellow umbrella that hangs beside her front door.

There are darker dreams sometimes, her hair mingled with short, yellow spikes, a regretful smile on her face. Waiting is never easy, when the months stretch between each visit and all she has to go on are promises that were made years ago. She should want to leave, want to say goodbye and start anew.

She should, but he won't make it an easy decision. Sasuke is many things but he has never been selfless. He replies to her letters, answers her calls, and when she greets him with open arms, he takes it as a victory. Against time or himself, he isn't sure.

There is no mail for him this week, no postcards with _dear john_ written carefully on them. He doesn't know whether to smile or frown.


	28. Scentless

**Title:** Scentless

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 29 / 'Possibly Maybe' by Bjork

**A/N:** War series! And I half succeeded and half failed with this one, I think.

**Summary:** _It's been a month since she's seen him. Maybe two, but she doesn't like to count._

...

...

...

It's been a month since she's seen him. Maybe two, but she doesn't like to count the days much. If she does, she thinks she might break.

She might be breaking anyways—the apartment is always dark when she goes home, the bed always cold when she wakes up. Work is always interesting but tiring, there are some days when she gets frustrated and others when she is just smiles.

Life goes on. That is the problem. There is nothing to signify that he isn't here with her, nothing that mentions his importance to her. Only a passing thought, a casual remark—some days she forgets entirely about Sasuke.

Then she'll get a phone call, a letter, something small and something his. The image is a little grainy on her computer when he calls her tonight. His voice sounds worn through her computer, his eyes tired, and even as she talks to him she feels ashamed.

It is all too easy to forget and move on, to fill in the gap in her life that is his. All too easy, and that more than the prolonged absences or the brief pangs of longing break her when she turns off the computer, his voice already fading in her ears.

When she sleeps that night, she curls up next to his favourite sweater, her nose buried deep into the wool.

It doesn't smell like him anymore.


	29. Recessive

**Title:** Recessive

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 30 / Clan / Bloodline Limit

**A/N:** Experimental piece? Don't take it seriously, just experimenting a bit with conversation. I don't think I'll want to write many pieces like this in the future—conversation makes me want to write descriptions.

And I won't deny I didn't write this just to put that last line there.

**Summary:** _Maybe Sasuke should have studied biology a little more. _

...

...

...

"No."

"Sakura—"

"Your choices in names are atrocious!"

"Sakura, I am trying to use traditional clan names."

"Then it's an inherited thing. What is it with your clan and animals?"

"..."

"So I'll pick the name."

"...you wanted this to be a—"

"I take it back. You don't need to help."

"...your choices are no better."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Our son will not be named after a flower."

"I know better than that."

"Hopefully he won't have pink hair."

"Don't give me that look. I have no control over which of my genes he gets."

"..."

"Neither do you—your sharingan seems recessive—he might not even get it."


	30. Prisoner

**Title:** Prisoner

**Prompt/Theme:** Day 31 / Blindfold / Captured / Abducted / Bound

**A/N:** Been reading too much Game of Thones, as you can see. So, this is the last official one-the floor is now open to anyone who wants to request. Otherwise, I'll just go around hunting for prompts.

**Summary:** _A prison is still a prison, no matter how you dress it up._

...

...

...

"Will I be released soon?" Sakura asks, her eyes focused squarely on his. The bed beneath her is soft enough, the food pleasant, but a prison is still a prison, no matter how you dress it up.

He remains at the door, eyes scanning the room briefly to make sure that nothing had changed since yesterday. As though she could escape from here—the window is folly at this height and there are no secret passages, long forgotten through time.

"No," Sasuke finally answers, his eyes resting on hers now. "They have nothing worth offering to trade for a princess, yet." A pause, then he continues. "Though it might please you to know your brother is still alive."

"Naruto..."

"The offer still stands."

A good offer, she knows. Her hand for peace. And Sasuke wouldn't make a bad king, but he wouldn't make a good one either. This is Naruto's crown and she will not be the one to take it away from him.

"You know my answer."

His eyes flash crimson, his fists clenching. "Maybe it will change when you see his head mounted to a pike."

Turning, he leaves, the door closing behind him with a soft thud. It's only when she no longer hears his footsteps that she allows herself to cry.


	31. Ghosts and stuff

**Title:** Ghosts and stuff

**Prompt:** July 8th / Dare

**Note:** This takes place before chapter 26, Rite of passage. Way before that chapter.

**Summary:** _The house is not haunted. The house is not haunted. The house is not-_

...

...

...

"This is stupid."

Ino raised an eyebrow, her lips curled in a sly smile Sakura knew all too well. "Really? Then it shouldn't be a problem."

"...I..." Sakura looked up at the building in front of her, imposing and abandoned. At the very edge of the village, it had remained neglected for generations. Especially after... "What about the—"

"There are no ghosts left." Ino hesitated for a second before pressing her hand firmly against the wooden door. "We got rid of them already."

That didn't stop the rumours and stories and Sakura shivered as slowly followed her friend into the house. Despite the years, it was surprisingly stable with only dust and cobwebs to show for the inattention.

"Now, go on." Sakura could feel Ino's hands on her back, pushing her forward. "You can't come back until you wave your hand from one of the rooms upstairs."

"Yeah..." She swallowed nervously, giving a faint smile as she stood in the center of what once had been a grand foyer. The door loudly shut behind her and she fought the instinct to run. Her hands gripped the totem around her neck, the wooden object keeping her calm.

The stairs creaked and complained as she trod on them. Her nose tingled and she stifled the sneeze before it began. Small windows behind her let in light, but the higher she went the gloomier it became.

Her powers were weaker than her mother's—in a few months, when she passed the test, they would grow. In a few months, but she was glad for this difference right now. Despite Ino's words, she could faintly sense something residing in the house. Powerful, it watched her and she could only hope it meant her no harm.

The hallway was dark and she silently whispered the words that allowed her eyes to see in the gloom. A door stood in front of her and she hurried in, eager to be out of this building. Her right hand reached up once more, grasping the totem.

Her family's guardian, a wolf. It would protect her. It would—and she felt the presence once more, stronger now. It surrounded her, surrounded the room and the door slammed close behind her. A dark haze filled the room and her eyes could no longer see. She was blind and she was helpless and the windows refused to open.

Ino probably couldn't see her or hear the pounding of her hands against the glass panes.

"You'll break it."

She turned around at those words, the dark smoke dissipating as she did. A figure emerged from it, its eyes a bright red and fur blacker than the night sky.

"I am Sasuke." it—the wolf, announced, and she tried to suppress the urge to scream.


	32. Blanket

**Title:** Blanket

**Prompt:** July 10th / Thunder

**Warnings: **AU universe

**Note:** This takes place after the last chapter (Ghosts and Stuff, 31), but some time has passed between the chapters.

They're basically on a journey right now.

**Summary:** _The rain is cold in their small shelter._

...

...

...

She can't see anything beyond the thick curtain of rain. Bright flashes of lightning illuminate the cave she is in at intervals, and what she sees depresses her.

It's just a little more than an overhang, the back of the cave far enough that the rain doesn't hit her, but not enough that she can keep away from the cold winds. A roar of thunder issues behind her and Sakura scurries quickly to the back of the cave, intent on keeping away from the storm.

"We'll have to wait," Sasuke growls impatiently, his nose barely poking out of the entrance. He sits there for a while, observing the rain, and she takes that time to change into something dry.

Wolf or not, he is still male, and she doesn't want to hear his snickers at her body. She can tell by the way an ear is cocked her way that he already knows what she's doing and she's glad he has the decency to remain where he is.

"At least it's dry in here," she responds some time later, keeping her hair tied up so her shirt doesn't get too wet. Pulling a small blanket out of her bag, she curls up in it and watches him. His head is tilted up, an ear remaining locked on her while the other listens elsewhere. She has come to get used to this, this rough kindness he shows her. It's critical and it's awkward, but it's not as cold as she thought.

"You should come back here, it's warmer." He turns his head to see her. After a moment's hesitation, he gets up and trots to her, settling in beside her. "Should I cover you?"

"I'm hot enough as it is."

"I see."

They sit there in silence for some time, the rain their constant companion. It lulls her to sleep.

When she wakes up later, she finds him curled next to her, his body warming her where her blanket could not. Stifling a smile, she closes her eyes once more.


	33. of doubts and delays

**Title:** of doubts and delays

**Prompt:** July 24th / experience

**Warnings: **AU universe

**Summary:** _It's a promise she can't understand but she holds it all the same._

...

...

...

"It's only for a year."

He nods, his eyes dark and silent. It's the grim line of his mouth that gives him away and she grabs his hands quickly before she loses the nerve. "I'll be back before you know it." Her fingers weave through his and she tries to imprint this memory into her mind, tries to sear it into her skin.

There is something heavy in her chest as she stands there with him, waiting. Her luggage is already in her compartment and she knows it isn't too long before she has to join it.

"I'll write."

And still he does not speak. The whistle cries behind her, shrill and insistent, and she moves to unwind her fingers from him.

He clenches his hands tighter for a moment, pulling her closer. "Soon." It sounds like a promise from him, though she can't claim to understand his words. It's enough that his lips brush hers and she's back on the train, watching him shrink into the distance.

Soon.

She wishes she could believe it.


	34. traces

**Title:** Traces

**Prompt:** July 23rd / Journey

**Warnings: **AU universe

**Note: **This comes after the "of doubts and delays" chapters.

**Summary:** _Piece by piece, she's losing him_.

...

...

...

She wakes up to the twilight sky, the feel of his hands still lingering on her. Blearily, she lifts her head from the window, the scenery outside slowly shifting from light to shadow. Sharp angles and misshapen shadows fill her vision as she rubs her eyes.

By the time she's awake, there are only dark shapes and the bright moon. Pressing her hands against her face, she can no longer smell his cologne. Instead there is the leather from the seats and the faint scent of her sweat, her fingers moist from the overbearing heat.

It seems it doesn't take that long for all traces of Sasuke to vanish. Her fingers run through her hair, stopping at the spot he kissed, and she can imagine his lips pressed there, firm and tender. It's not a word she normally associates with him.

It's all she can think of right now. Sasuke is at his most expressive when they are parting. Whether it is for a night, a week, (for a year, she thinks with a pang), she can see his emotions most clearly when it is time to leave.

And his only spoke of pain today.


End file.
